December 8 2012

This might be the last blog post on the topic of the book prior to its release!

Earlier this week, I finished up edits on the "proof" copy of Opting In: Lessons in Social Business from a Fortune 500 Product Manager. One final look coming on December 17, and then it's off to print/ebook production. Availability date is on track for just before IBM Connect 2013. Answering an FAQ: Yes, I will be doing a couple of signing sessions for the book during Connect. I also will be doing a session on the topic of "Opting In: Social Business to get Smarter Work Done" at the conference, an interactive discussion with Marcia Conner, who also wrote the book's foreword.

The last few phases of readying the book have been intense. Like most business books, one objective IBM Press set was to solicit endorsements or "praise quotes" for the book. That meant letting it out of the womb...network contacts, friends, industry analysts were contacted in the hope of offering positive quotes. It also meant that it was time to hear whether someone outside of IBM thought the book would fly.

I'm so pleased and flattered by the wonderful quotes that came in as a result. A very humbling and gracious process. I got a few rejections, too, and the first negative feedback on the book. C'est la vie. Still, thank you so much to these esteemed industry visionaries and leaders, for taking some time to read the book (or at least a few chapters) and offering their thoughts.

A couple of other questions I've been asked a lot lately: - Book tour: Well, I do have a day job, so not sure I will be on the road in the same way that authors of big bestsellers are. But we'll see. Perhaps once the book hits the shelves. - Whose book is it? This book is copyright IBM Corporation, not me personally. While it was a nights-and-weekends project, it's an IBM output.

Praise for Opting In:

“A must read for anyone in business today. Ed does an incredible job at articulating the cultural shift driving social business today and the need for companies to embrace social business practices in order to thrive in today's changing digital world.” --Jonathan Levitt Chief Marketing Officer, OpinionLab

“Ed gives us a highly actionable, from-the-trenches view of social business, how it works, and why it will reshape how we do business.” --Dion Hinchcliffe Chief Strategy Officer, Dachis Group Columnist for ZDNet and InformationWeek

“I have been teaching Internet Marketing classes at DePaul University since 2006, and the IBM Social Computing Guidelines have been indispensable in providing direction to students looking to meaningfully engage in business social media. To this excellent resource I now add another, Ed Brill’s Opting In. The book is an honest and open combination of history and insight, in which Ed shares how he and IBM have used social media to make a technology giant more approachable and relevant to the lives of its customers and prospects. No small feat. The publishing industry abounds with social media guides at present. Opting In distinguishes itself from the completion by sharing real-world examples of what has worked (and what has not), with a clear explanation of the critical factors and lessons learned. Perhaps the new IBM meme will be ‘Nobody ever got fired for ‘Opting In’.’” --James Moore Director of Online Learning, DePaul University, Driehaus College of Business

“Many organizations are struggling to find ways to connect more effectively with their customers, partners and their own employees. As an early adopter of social business solutions, IBM's Ed Brill has been excelling at this for more than a decade. In Opting In he shares his experiences and insights on how to engage with communities and use their feedback to help guide critical business decisions. Anyone looking to learn how to leverage community feedback should put this on their reading list.” --Alan Lepofsky Vice President and Principal Analyst, Constellation Research

“Social business is an organizational imperative. In Opting In, Ed Brill demonstrates how IBM transformed our culture and tools to connect people with people and insert social into business process. This book represents the best practices and lessons learned in an extremely effective, personal narrative. Must reading for any product or brand manager.” --Jeff Schick Vice President, Social Software, IBM

“Ed has been involved with social software since its very early days driving his personal, product and corporate brand forward as the social landscape began to take shape. This book gives an insider’s view of the evolution of the social business from a personal perspective and how brands needed to adapt to the changing way of communicating. He shows how the use of social media has enabled the growth of transparency in business and gives practical advice for aspiring social product managers. It is an excellent resource for any business wishing to activate its advocates and grow its agile social business.” --Eileen Brown Contributor, Social Business column at ZDNet and author ofWorking the Crowd: Social Media Marketing for Business

“Clear headed, actionable, and hype-free. As an IBM product manager who has successfully navigated the social business waters for himself, Ed demonstrates a remarkable ability to marry data and experience into a framework others can use to build, lead, and actualize social product strategies. This book is a must read for any product manager with questions about navigating social business!” --Jason Seiden CEO, Ajax Workforce Marketing

“‘Opting in’ to become a more social business is imperative whether your business is large or small. This book gives you the roadmap you need to get there.” --Laurie McCabePartner, SMB Group

“Ed Brill’s Opting In is an important book that takes social business beyond external marketing to provide practical guidance on how to drive significant business value through enhancing human interactions within the enterprise.” --Bill IvesPartner, Merced group